Transparency is the foundation for making informed decisions about the products we specify. The AEC industry is familiar with sustainability goals related to energy efficiency, but holistic discussions related to material goals across the entire team are still rare. Large strides have been made in interior product disclosure, but much less so for building envelope, MEP  and lighting systems. Without transparency our ability to quantitatively convey the magnitude of decisions made across the project team, and track progress as the design progresses, is limited.

The virtual power plant - aggregated, behind-the-meter solar, energy storage, and building loads dispatched in concert to meet grid needs - is a new model that has been pioneered in New England and is now being adopted by forward-looking utilities and policymakers across the country. This session will explain why the virtual power plant is the future of energy storage, how states can create virtual power plants using existing programs and budgets, and why this is an important new paradigm that will benefit customers and communities.

This session will share insights from three research projects focused on greenhouse gas impacts of efficiency-related measures. How does the choice of insulation materials in new construction affect the building’s carbon footprint? What do five years of weatherization data tell us about GHG impacts of insulating existing buildings? What is the lifecycle carbon impact of using heat pumps to offset fossil fuel boiler heat when considering the electric grid, embodied carbon of new heat pumps, and heat pump fugitive emissions from refrigerant leaks? 

Many cities in New England and beyond have carbon neutrality goals and are actively addressing new construction to hit the goals. What about all the existing buildings? How will those be addressed to reduce energy and carbon? What creative enclosure approaches can be used to achieve these goals? Preservation of Affordable Housing has new construction projects in design to PHIUS standard. POAH also has rehab projects that never hit a passive house standard but go as deep as possible.

Boston’s proposed building emissions performance standard would set carbon emissions targets for existing large buildings that decrease over time. The targets align with the City’s 2030 goal of a 50% reduction in emissions from 2005 and its 2050 goal of net zero emissions.

High performing buildings consume considerably less energy and water than conventional buildings. Through energy modeling and water use projections, design teams have been able to calculate the amount expected to be saved during the design phase. However, not much has been done to circle back and compare these projections to actual performance. This pilot study compares actual operating results to predicted in 21 public buildings in Massachusetts to learn how accurate these projections are.

This session details the design and construction challenges inherent in a net zero energy remodel and addition to a modest single family residence in Arlington, Massachusetts, completed in winter 2021. The project team sought practical, low cost, and reproducible solutions to meet project goals of net zero energy, minimizing embodied carbon, and electrification. We aspire to broaden the toolset of owners, designers, and builders by sharing our approaches to permit approval, structural design, building envelope, window specification and installation, and HVAC.

Two very different projects – Oak Bluffs Town Hall and The Graphic Lofts – share a common goal to create a passive-house-inspired high-performance building. One building utilizes conventional construction techniques, the other building employs off-site construction strategies. These case studies will review decisions made and lessons learned following each project’s approach. The speakers will compare and contrast the challenges and benefits of on- and off-site construction to realize this common goal.